Plait forming attachments for sewing machines



Dec. 22, 1959 l P. cs. THUMLERY BUSCHER 2,918,026

PLAIT FORMING ATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed July 1, 1957 IN VENTOR. Paul Guillermo Thum/er y Buscher WITNESS 26 2,91 ,026 iLAIT FORMINGATTACHMENTS FOR SEWING MACHINES Signor to The Singer ManufacturingCompany, Elizabeth, N.J., a corporation of New Jersey Application July1, 1957, Serial No. 669,078

2 Claims. Cl. 112-435) I This invention relates to sewing machines andmore particularly to a plaiting or tucking'device which serves to form aplait or tuck in a fabric, which plait or tuck is subsequentlypermanently stitched.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improvedplaiting device constructed and ar- -ranged in a manner to facilitatethe insertion and re-.

moval of the fabric from the plait forming members,

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear theinvention comprises the devices, combinations and arrangement of partshereinafter described in connection with the accompanying drawings.which iliustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and advantagesattained thereby will be readily-understood by those skilled in the art.

In the drawings:

l atented Dec. 22, 195.9

in a laterally projecting lip 29 spaced above and parallel with thethroat plate 15. To facilitate the insertion Paul Guillermo Thumler yBuscher, Havana, Cuba, as- I is disposed transversely of the normal lineof feed .and terminates at its outer end in a plaiting edge "43substantially parallel with the line of feed.

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a.v

sewing machine, partly in section, embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a left side elevational view similar to Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of'the sewing machine throat plateand showing the relationship of the feeding device and the folding guidecarried by the throat plate.

Fig. 5 is a view taken substantially alongthe line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the folding guide.

Referring to the drawings, the present invention is embodied in a sewingmachine comprising a head 10 carrying a bearing sleeve 11 in which thereis journaled a reciprocating needle bar 12 having secured on its lowerend an eye-pointed needle 13. The needle 13 recipro cates through aneedle opening 14 formed in a throat plate 15 seated within a bed 16 inwhich there is located the usual four motion feed mechanism including afeed dog 17 secured to a feed bar 18.

The feed dog 17 is formed with three spaced parallel rows of serratedfeed teeth 19, 20, 21 which are adapted, during the feed advancemovement thereof, to project through feed slots 22, 23, 24,respectively, formed in the throat plate 15. The rows of feed teeth 19,20, and 21 are arranged such that the leading or forward tooth on eachof the rows of teeth does not project substantially forward of theneedle opening 14 thereby not to interfere with the plait formingstructure as hereinafter described. 7

Located in an offset cut-out portion 22a formed in the throat plate 15in front of the needle opening 14 is a fold guide 25. The fold guide 25is formed from sheet metal or the like and is attached at its tail end26 to the underside of the throat plate 15 by a screw 27. v The forwardend of the fold guide 25 projects upwardly through the cutout portion22a in front of the needle opening 14 and is "provided with a verticalflat face 28 parallel with the line of feed which terminates of fabricin the fold guide 25 the edge of the lip 29 is curved outwardly in adirection away from the needle opening 14.

Secured to the exposed end of the bearing sleeve 11 by a clamping screw30 is a horizontally disposed split collar 31 of a bracket 32 whichincludes a limb 33 extending inwardly of and normal to the line of feed.Ex-

tending downwardly from the front face of the split collar 31 is aflange 34 which receives a stud 34a pivotally securing an upwardlyextending arm 35 of a carrier-bar 36. Integral with the arm 35 is oneend of a laterally extending arm 37 which is slightly inclined away froma vertical plane with the lower edge 38'of the arm 37 spaced rearwardlyfrom the top edge. De-

pending downwardly and integral with the other end of the lateral arm 37is an arm 39 which detachably receives, by screws 40 0r the like, anupstanding slotted shank 41 of a plaiting blade 42. The plaiting blade42 The plaiting edge 43 is formed with a rounded corner cooperating withthe curved edge of the lip 29 to form therewith a substantially V-shapednotch which serves -to guide the fabric between the fold guide 25 andplaitblade 42 in the normal operative plait forming position there issecured, to the upper end of the arm 35 by a screw 44, one end ofatension spring 45 which is secured at its other end to Prong 46 formedon the free end of the limb 33. In this manner the carrier bar 36,including the plaiting blade 42 mounted thereon, is normally urgedclockwise about the pivot stud 34a. Projecting outwardly from the flange34 of the split collar 31 is a lug 47 which receives an adjusting screw48 held selectively positioned by a lock nut 49. The adjusting screw 48is engageable with the arm 35 to limit the clockwise movement of thecarrier bar 36. By adjusting the screw 48 the desired spacing betweenthe plaiting edge 43 and the vertical face 28 of the fold guide 25 maybe obtained to accommodate various thicknesses of material. Furthermore,when the screws 40 securing the plaiting blade 42 to the arm 39 areloosened, the vertical position or level of the plaiting edge betweenthe lip 29 and the throat plate 15 may also be adjusted.

Journaled in the head 10 in a suitable bearing is the usual verticallymovable presser bar 51 carrying on the reduced lower end a shank 52 of apresser foot 53 which is biased into feed engaging position in theconventional manner by spring means (not shown) in engagement with thepresser bar 51. Extending forwardly from the shank 52 is a sole plate 54provided with a needle opening 55 in register with the throat plateneedle opening 14. The sole plate terminates at its forward end in asingle tine 56. The tine 56 and the terminal edge of the sole plate 54define a clearance opening which, when the presser foot 53 is in itsfabric engaging position, receives the fold guide 25 therein.

Clamped to the presser bar 51 is a lifting bracket 57, the lower end ofwhich is formed with a horizontal for! wardly projecting finger 58arranged to underlie the lower edge 38 of the horizontal arm 37 of theplaiting blade carrier bar 36. In the fabric engaging position of thepresser'foot 53 the finger 58 is located such that the arm 37is"free"toturn about the pivot stud 34a until it abuts against the adjustable stop48. Upon raising the presser simultaneously movable away from and towardthe fabric :th'e'reby to'facilitate the removable and'insertion of thefabric 'in the fold guide. carrier arm 35' and the plaiting blade 42carried thereon Furthermore, as shown, the

are 'arranged'in a manner such that an operator can {readily grasp thedownwardly extending 'arm '39 and swing 'the blade out of its operativeplaitingposition independently of any movement of the presser foot 53.'jHaving thus described the nature of the invention,

What I claim herein is:

.1. In a sewing'r'nachine" having a frame including a bed, a throatplate mounted in said bed, a needleopening in said throat plate, afabric feeding element extending through said throat plate, a headspaced above said "throat plate, a presser bar supported in said headfor j'movement toward and away from said throat plate, a presserfootcarried by said presser bar and having a sole platedisposed incooperative relation with said feed- "ing element, a needle openingformed in-said presser' foot "and'aligned with-said throat plate needleopening, a cutou't in said throat plate in advance ofsaid resser-footsole plate, a bearing sleeve in said head, a reciprocatory -needle barjournaled in said bearing sleeve, a fold guide attached to said throatplate and projecting through'said 'cut-out and above the upper surfaceof said-throat plate in advance of said feeding element, a plaitingblade arranged to cooperate withsaid fold guide to form a plait infabric, a carrier bar supporting saidplaiting blade, means on saidbearing sleeve pivotally mounting said carrier bar for movement in aplane normal-to said 'fold guide for swinging said plaiting blade towardor away from the fold guide, said carrier bar including an edge disposedbelow and to one side of said pivotal mounting means, a lifting fingersecured to said presser bar engageable with said carrier bar edge uponraising said presser bar thereby to swing said plaiting blade away fromsaid fold guide, and adjustable means engageable with said carrier barfor stopping movement of said plaiting blade toward said fold-guide.

2. In a sewing machine having a frame including a bed, a throat plate insaid bed, a needle opening in said throat plate, a feeding elementadapted to project through said throat platerearwardly of saidneedle-opening,-a presser bar supported for movement toward and awayfrom said' throat plate, a presserfoot. carried by said presser bar andhaving a sole plate disposed in cooperative relation with said feedingelement, said sole plate having a needle opening in-register with saidthroat plate needle opening, a cut-out in said throat plate in advanceof said presser foot sole plate, a fold guide projecting through saidcut-out above the top surface of said throat plate surface, a plaitingblade arranged to cooperatewith said fold guide to forma plait infabric, a'car'rier bar, means securing said plaiting blade on saidcarrier bar for adjustment toward and away from said throat plate,

means pivotally mounting said carrier bar on said frame and providingfor the swinging of said plaiting blade toward or away from said foldguide, said carrier bar .including an edge disposed below and extendingto oneside of said pivotal mounting means, a lifting finger secured tosaid presserbar engageable with said carrier bar edge upon-raising saidpresser bar thereby to swing said plaiting blade away from said foldguide, and adjustable means engageable with said carrier bar forstopping movement of 'said plaiting blade towardsaid'fold guide.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

